Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

     1      package Oreos

            stick  (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (melted)

For the Peanut Butter Filling

1 block of regular cream cheese (8 ounces, softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 heaping cup of creamy peanut butter

1 tub of cool whip (8 ounce tub)

For the topping

chocolate syrup

caramel syrup

Instructions

You can either prepare this pie in a 9 inch pie dish or a 9 inch spring-form pan. If using a pie dish spray the bottom of the dish lightly with some cooking spray and set aside. If using a 9 inch spring-form pan, you can either spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray or you can cut a circle cut out of parchment paper and line the bottom on the spring-form pan with that so when it's time to serve you can easily transfer the whole pie to a serving plate.To make the crust, pulse cookies (use the entire package) in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Place the cookie crumbs in a medium sized bowl and melt the butter in the microwave. Pour melted butter over the cookie crumbs and mix together until all the crumbs are evenly coated and moist. Pour crumbs into the bottom of the pie dish of spring-form pan and press them down with the back of a spoon forming a crust. Make sure the crust is even, smooth and packed tightly. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for about a minute and then work your way up to medium speed. Add in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Continue mixing. You may have to stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add in the cool whip and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Mixture will be fluffy, thick and resemble a pale peanut butter color. Pour peanut butter mixture into the pie dish and smooth it out over the pie crust. Chill pie for at least one hour before serving.

                                                                           Enjoy it!

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Tomato Tart

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 whole Large Onions, Halved And Sliced Thin
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 whole Storebought Pie Crusts (or Homemade Crust)
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Fontina Cheese
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup Grated Gruyere (or Swiss)
• 3 cups Cherry Tomatoes (yellow Or Red), Washed And Dried (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Egg
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 16 whole Basil Leaves, Chiffonade

Instructions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter, onions, salt, and pepper and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Smush both pie crusts into a ball, knead it around a bit to combine them, then roll it out into one large, thin crust. Lay onto a shallow quarter sheet pan, a tart pan, or cut in half and use 2 standard pie pans. Sprinkle on the cheeses in a single layer, then lay on the caramelized onions, then sprinkle the tomatoes over the cheese.

Mix together the egg and milk in a small bowl and brush it all over the crust around the edge of the tart. Bake the tart for 15 to 18 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the crust doesn't burn. (The tomatoes should be starting to burst apart, with some dark/roasted areas on the skin, and the crust should be deep golden brown.) If the crust is getting brown too fast, reduce the heat to 425 F.

Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the basil all over the top. Cut into squares and serve!

 

Enjoy!

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Soup With White Beans & Kale

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry white navy beans
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 small white potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes
8 cups vegetable stock
1 lemon, squeezed
1/2 cup dry  pasta (optional)
3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups kale, chopped
garnishes
olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Immerse the beans in cold water, and soak overnight for at least 12 hours. Rinse and set to the side.
In a large soup pot, on low-medium heat, fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the potato and continue to fry for another minute. Add the vegetable stock, juice from one lemon, and beans and simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are soft.
Add the pasta (which is optional) and parmesan cheese, and continue to simmer until the pasta is al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Add the kale and simmer until tender, and the pasta soft. At this point, you may need to add some boiling water to the soup, as some of the stock may have evaporated (1/2 - 1 cup should be sufficient).
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top, season with salt and pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.

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Cherry Limeade Fruit Dip

iNGREDIENTS

8 oz cream cheese, softened

6 oz lime yogurt (I used lime Chobani Greek yogurt)

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons protein powder

Juice of 1 lime (approx 2 Tablespoons)

1 teaspoon lime zest, (optional)

8 oz Cool Whip

3 Tablespoons cherry jam/preserves or fresh cherries, crushed

instructions

   In the bowl of your mixer combine cream cheese, yogurt, powdered sugar, and proteine powder.  Slowly add lime juice, zest, and Cool Whip until incorporated.

   In a small bowl swirl cherry preserves along the inside walls of the bowl. Add the limeade dip. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

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Chicken and Spring Green Mix Salad with Green Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped into cubes
• 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 5 ounces spring green mix
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 2 ounces feta cheese (or your favourite cheese)
•  Green dressing

Instructions

1. Prepare the Green Dressing dressing and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Cook the chicken using your preferred method. To do so quickly, bring a few cups of water to a boil. Add the chicken and cook for 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from water and place on a cutting board. Chop or shred the chicken and add salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings.
3. Place all ingredients for the salad (including the chicken) in a large serving bowl and toss in desired amount of green goddess dressing.
4. Serve as an entree.

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Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 cups low or no-sodium beef broth

1 (28oz. can) petite diced tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauce

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. sliced mushrooms 

1 green bell pepper

1 small onion

4 slices pre-cooked bacon 

4 oz. sliced pepperoni

1/2 of a loaf of Italian bread 

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

instructions

Turn on the broiler and position the rack 6-8 inches from the heat source.

Put a large pot or Dutch oven on high heat. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and black pepper. Stir and cover. When it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the mushrooms. Stir. Chop the green pepper roughly and add it to the mushrooms. Stir. Chop the onion and add it as well. Stir. Chop the bacon and add it. Chop the pepperoni and and add it. Stir. Stir occasionally until onions and peppers are softened a bit.

Cut the bread into 4 thick slices. Put the bread on a broiler pan and put it under the broiler to toast it lightly. Remove and flip it over. Put 1/4 cup of the cheese onto each bread slice. Return it to under the broiler just until melted and browned in spots, 1-3 minutes.

Stir the mushroom mixture into the soup. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the remaining cheese. Serve with the cheese toast.

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Tomato Mozzarella Tart

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 plum tomatoes (or 1 large heirloom tomato), cored and sliced ¼-inch thick
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the puff pastry in the center of the baking sheet and brush all over with the egg. Form a crust by folding over the edges about a ½ inch, then brush the edges with egg. Use a paring knife to cut the folded edges and corners.

3. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese, then poke the dough all over with a fork, making sure to go the whole way through the dough. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

4. Meanwhile, place the tomato slices on a triple layer of paper towels. Sprinkle with the salt and let sit for 30 minutes.

5. When ready, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the bottom of the crust. Press any excess moisture out of the tomatoes with paper towels, then layer the tomato slices evenly over the mozzarella. Whisk the olive oil and garlic together and drizzle evenly over the tomatoes. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with basil. Slide the tart onto a cutting board, slice into pieces and serve.

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Black Bean and Veggie Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Mexican pizza

• 8 large (7-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 14.5-ounce cans organic refried black beans
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 14.5-ounce can whole black olives, sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ bunch green onions, sliced
• ¾ cup shredded light monterey jack cheese
• Avocado cream, to taste (recipe below)
• Optional: salsa for serving.

Avocado cream

• 1 ripe avocado
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

Mexican pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F with a pizza stone (or a large baking sheet) inside.
2. Working in batches, lay as many tortillas out as possible on the pizza stone without overlapping and bake for 10 minutes, or until just crispy. Repeat until all tortillas are crispy.
3. Meanwhile, heat the black beans, paprika, cumin, and cayenne over medium heat until smooth and pliable (it doesn't need to be heated all the way through, just enough to make it easy to spread).
4. Divide the black beans among the crispy tortillas (about ⅓ cup per tortilla), and use a rubber spatula to spread the beans out evenly to the edges.
5. Evenly the olives, red onion, tomatoes, and bell pepper among the tortillas.
6. Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the top of each pizza.
7. Bake the pizzas for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the toppings are cooked through. My pizza stone holds only 4 pizzas at a time, so work in batches if needed.
8. Before serving, dollop or swirl avocado cream over the pizzas, to taste, and sprinkle sliced green onions on top. (To swirl it, I put the cream in a Ziploc bag and cut off the tip!).
9. Optional: serve with a side of salsa.

Avocado cream

 1.Toss all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. You'll likely have leftover cream that you can dip chips in too!

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Chicken & Orzo Salad

INGREDIENTS

For The Dressing

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 large garlic cloves

⅓ cup olive oil

Salt and black pepper

2 cups cooked orzo, cooled

1 large bunch of fresh watercress leaves

½ cup olives cut in half

¾ cup sliced red onion

¼ cup sliced green onion

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

½ cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled

1 large grilled chicken breast

Salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, salt, pepper and olive oil to a blender. Blend for 30 seconds and set aside. Take the cooled orzo and place in a large bowl. Chop the leafy part of the watercress from the stems and add to the bowl.

Add the  olives and red onion. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Lay the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle the green onions, pine nuts and cheese on top. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Slice the chicken breast on a diagonal and serve alongside the salad.

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Albanian Dish (Fergese)

INGREDIENTS

3-4 large long roasted peppers 

450g chopped tomato

4 Tbsp cottage cheese (or ricotta )

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp chili

2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp oregano

1 Tbsp parsley

~ 50ml olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

It should be prepared with homemade roasted peppers, but you can buy ready made, it saves time. In a medium size pot add chopped onion, fry for 3 minutes then add chopped garlic and fry for additional minute. Add finely chopped roasted peppers, chopped tomato, sugar, parsley, paprika, chili, oregano and cook for 7-10 minutes. Liquid should evaporate.  In a small pot heat butter, when it melts add flour and fry for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and add cheese, mix well.  Now add cheese and a cup of water to the tomato and pepper mixture, stir and leave it to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Grease a small oven tray and pour the sauce and add roasted peppers on top. Grill it for about 5 minutes.

 At the end, add some chopped parsley.

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Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

• 2 slices rustic white bread or sourdough bread
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 4  tomato slices
• 2 Tbsp diced black olives
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 2 tsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp finely minced garlic (about 1/3 clove)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a non-stick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic and spinach and saute until spinach begins to wilt, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in basil and set aside. To assemble sandwich, spread Mozzarella and Feta cheese over one slice of bread into an even layer. Layer tomatoes in a single layer over cheese. Spread spinach mixture over tomatoes then sprinkle olives and red onions over tomatoes. Season with freshly ground black pepper and top with remaining slice of bread.

• Spread 1 tsp olive oil evenly over skillet, add sandwich and heat over medium-low heat. Cook until bottom is golden brown, about 3 - 4 minutes, then remove sandwich from pan. Spread remaining 1 tsp olive oil evenly along skillet, carefully rotate sandwich to opposite side and return to pan over medium-low heat. Cover skillet with lid and cook until bottom is golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

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One Pan Pizza

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

• 14 ounces high-gluten flour (bread flour), about 2½ cups
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water

For the Pizzas:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1½ cups thick pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 12-16 pieces of pepperoni 

Optional but tasty:

• fresh basil leaves for adding before and after baking

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together all of the dough ingredients until it is evenly moist and there are no more pockets of dry ingredients. Cover the bowl or dough bucket tightly and let it rise for at least 8 but up to 24 hours.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of neutral oil into a 10 to 12 inch cast-iron skillet. Repeat with a second skillet. Swirl to coat the bottoms of the pans. Divide the risen dough into two pieces. Gently form into a ball by pulling the side of the dough and tucking it under, rotating ¼ turn and repeating the tug and tug, rotating another ¼ turn and repeating the tug and tuck, then finally doing it once more to form a loose ball. Lay it smooth side down in the oil, then flip so the whole thing is coated in oil. Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the dough. It will not spread to the edges yet, but that is okay. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and set out at room temperature -undisturbed- for 2 hours.

To Prepare the Pizzas:

1. Preheat oven as high as it will go, preferably to 550°F. Remove plastic wrap from the pans with the pizza dough in them. The dough should now have spread itself (or nearly spread itself) to the edges of the pan. Simply lift the edges of dough to pull toward the sides of the pan if necessary. This will help loosen any trapped air under the dough as well. If there are any large air bubbles, nudge them down with the back of a knuckle.
2. Spread half of the sauce on each pizza right to the edges of the dough. Divide the cheese and top each pizza evenly to the edge, then distribute the pepperoni over the pizzas. If using it, tear half of your basil leaves and toss over the tops of the pizzas. Reserve half of the basil to add to the pizzas when they're removed from the oven.
3. Put into the hot oven and bake for 12-20 minutes. You can check the underside of the pizza crust for doneness by lifting the edge gently with a flexible spatula. A finished pizza will have a crisp, deep-brown bottom and a bubbly, golden- to deep-golden brown top. I pull my pizzas when the edges have some deeply caramelized edges and some dark brown bubbles on top.
4. Use your flexible spatula to slide under the pizza and edge it out onto a cutting board, tear the remaining basil and scatter over the pizzas. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into wedges, then let it rest without moving it for another 3 minutes before serving.

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Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients

For tomatillo sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a chef's knife

3/4 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 jalapeño chiles, seeded and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

For the filling

1 pound chicken tenderloins

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For the tortillas and  toppings

11 6-inch corn tortillas

2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Smoked paprika

3/4 cup sour cream

1 small heart of romaine lettuce (or 5-6 leaves), shredded

1 avocado diced

1 lime, sliced

Instructions

For the tomatillo sauce

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos, jalapeños, sugar, salt, cumin and 1/3 cup water; bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tomatillos are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until completely smooth. Set aside.

 For the filling

Place the chicken tenderloins in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the cumin, smoked paprika and salt. Toss with tongs until the chicken is evenly coated with the spice blend.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken and cook until just done, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate to cool. Do not rinse the pan. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces. (All tenderloins have a tough tendon running through them; just remove it.) Add the shredded chicken to the pan with the onions, along with the chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.

 To Assemble

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread 3/4 cup of the tomatillo sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Pour the oil into a small bowl or ramekin. Using a pastry brush (or your hands), brush both sides of each tortilla with oil, then stack them on a plate and microwave until hot and steamy, 1-1/2 - 2 minutes. This makes them pliable.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly and place side by side in the baking dish, seam side down.

Pour the remaining chili sauce over the top, and use the back of a spoon to spread evenly over each tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese down the center of the enchiladas. Bake until hot and bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle the smoked paprika down the center of the enchiladas and serve immediately with sour cream, lettuce, avocado and lime wedges.

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Warm roasted tomato,onion & feta salad

Ingredients

1 medium-large red or yellow onion

1/4 cup  olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Variety of small tomatoes, such as cherry, grape etc. no larger than golf-ballish size

A couple of larger tomatoes, cut into thick slices

6-7 oz.  block of feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch thick slices

Fresh basil leaves (or 1/2-1 tsp. dried basil)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Salt, for finishing (*feta is salty, so don’t salt until the end and only a bit is needed)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Cut onion into thin wedges. Place in baking dish or roasting pan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Place feta slices into roasting pan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Scatter any feta crumbles around the pan. Place a large tomato slice over most of the large rounds of feta. Scatter smaller tomatoes around the pan. Give one final drizzle of olive oil over tomatoes and a bit of freshly ground pepper (if using dried basil, you can add now, as well). Return to the oven and roast another 35-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then lower the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Set aside.

Allow to cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves, a bit of salt and drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar. Serve warm.

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Onion bombs!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 clove of garlic finely chopped 

3/4 cup of Ketchup

1/2 cup of crushed saltine crackers

1 slice of bread torn into small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup of shredded cheese (any kind of cheese you like)

1/3 cup of parmesan cheese

optional – meatloaf seasoning packet or any extra spices or herbs that you like

INSTRUCTIONS

Add 1 lb. of ground beef, turkey or pork to a mixing bowl. You can even combine a little beef with pork if you’d like. We just used all ground beef. Mix all of this up with your hands as you would with meatloaf. You want about the same texture as you would with meatloaf as well. If it seems too dry, add a bit more ketchup or a splash of milk. If it feels too wet, add a little more crushed crackers.

Now it’s time to assemble your onion bombs. Start with the largest pair of onion halves. Make a large meatball and place it in one side of the onion half and place the other onion half over the top. Basically squishing the meatball between the 2 onion halves. Continue to fill the rest of the onion halves up with the meat mixture.

Wrap each onion bomb in aluminum foil. You want to have enough room so that you can leave a little twist at the top so you can easily pick them up off the grill because they’re hot! Now it’s time to grill them. Slap these babies on the grill and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Flip them over on their opposite side and cook an additional 8-10 minutes. 

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